TOPEKA, Kan. - Notes from round 3 qualifying in Top Fuel at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 25th annual
NHRA Kansas Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time/top speed this round, position in
order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:
Right Lane: Luigi Novelli Runs 11.565/76.98, Now #13; No Prior Run

Novelli is up in smoke
as soon as he hits the throttle and clicks it off.

Left Lane: Tim Cullinan Runs 4.098/287.41, Now #14; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Scott Palmer Runs 3.995/286.32, Now #13; No Prior Run

Palmer launched hard and keep it hooked up to make his quickest pass of the weekend to
go to the number 13 spot. Scott Palmer's incremental times: 60ft-0.869 sec., 330ft-2.220,
660ft-3.169/264.96 mph. Cullinan was on a good pass until right in the lights when it appeared to
smoke the tires. Tim Cullinan's incremental times: 60ft-0.887 sec., 330ft-2.272,
660ft-3.259/254.42 mph. Left Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 4.273/262.18, Now #16; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Bob Vandergriff Runs 4.003/297.48, Now #14; No Prior Run

Lucas started to lose traction and pedaled it around 300 feet and then dropped a bunch
of cylinders on the right side. Vandergriff started to mix up cylinders around half track, but
stay with it to go to the number 14 spot. Bob Vandergriff's incremental times: 60ft-0.872 sec.,
330ft-2.246, 660ft-3.194/265.17 mph. Left Lane: Pat Dakin Runs 4.012/263.82, Now #16; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Brittany Force Runs 3.846/320.89, Now #13; No Prior Run

Force launched hard and was straight down the groove with the quickest pass of the
session to go to the number 13 spot. Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.877 sec.,
330ft-2.204, 660ft-3.096/283.43 mph. Dakin clicked it off early, but still gets in the show on the
bubble. These two bumped out Cullinan and Lucas. Left Lane: Terry McMillen Runs 3.899/316.23, Now #12; Best prior run: 3.842/321.96,
Was #12
Right Lane: Leah Pruett Runs 3.843/313.00, Now #11; Best prior run: 3.833/311.85, Was
#11

Pruett with a nice pass, but was skating around on the top end. She still runs the
quickest pass of the round. Leah Pruett's incremental times: 60ft-0.857 sec., 330ft-2.165,
660ft-3.072/280.14 mph. McMillen with a straight down the groove with the third quickest pass of
the round. Terry McMillen's incremental times: 60ft-0.880 sec., 330ft-2.203, 660ft-3.127/272.72
mph. Left Lane: Steve Torrence Runs 3.817/319.60, Now #9; Best prior run: 3.822/317.72, Was
#10
Right Lane: Brandon Bernstein Runs 3.836/318.62, Now #10; Best prior run: 3.819/321.27,
Was #9

torrence launched hard and keep it hitting on all eight to move up the ladder one spot.
Steve Torrence's incremental times: 60ft-0.847 sec., 330ft-2.157, 660ft-3.059/279.73 mph. No help
here for Bernstein, but still a nice pass. Brandon Bernstein's incremental times: 60ft-0.864 sec.,
330ft-2.175, 660ft-3.078/280.02 mph. Left Lane: David Grubnic Runs 3.819/317.27, Now #8; Best prior run: 3.813/319.75, Was
#8
Right Lane: Clay Millican Runs 3.820/319.52, Now #7; Best prior run: 3.811/321.12, Was
#7

grubnic with a real nice pass, straight down the groove with the second quickest pass
of the session. He matches his E.T. from round two. David Grubnic's incremental times: 60ft-0.856
sec., 330ft-2.163, 660ft-3.058/281.42 mph. Millican with the third quickest pass of round. He
didn't improve but still a nice pass. Clay Millican's incremental times: 60ft-0.847 sec.,
330ft-2.161, 660ft-3.062/279.32 mph. Left Lane: Antron Brown Runs 3.883/312.50, Now #6; Best prior run: 3.803/316.15, Was
#6
Right Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 3.767/322.50, Now #1; Best prior run: 3.777/317.34, Was
#3

Kalitta started to smoke the tires around 300 feet and clicked it off. Massey with the
fifth quickest pass of the session. Spencer Massey's incremental times: 60ft-0.855 sec.,
330ft-2.173, 660ft-3.072/281.71 mph. Left Lane: Khalid alBalooshi Runs 3.795/298.34, Now #4; Best prior run: 3.794/324.44,
Was #4
Right Lane: Tony Schumacher Runs 7.132/88.85, Now #2; Best prior run: 3.769/326.08, Was
#2

Schumacher is up in smoke by 150 feet and clicked it off. alBalooshi with a great
looking pass with the second quickest pass of the session right behind his teammate. alBalooshi is
just a tick off his qualifying time. Khalid alBalooshi's incremental times: 60ft-0.842 sec.,
330ft-2.144, 660ft-3.031/286.62 mph.